Starting to think about hatch lids, combing, and hinges for my dory. The hatch landings will have a gutter system which evactuates straight out the side of the boat in a few places. The lids with have a standard combing seal to the bottom of the hatch lid as well as a seal on the bootom of the lip, but the lip will overhang the bottom seal by 1/4" and fall into the gutter system. Due to some of the other constraints of the design i am trying to figure out the best way to make the big hatch lids and make them hinge, etc. looks like the standard way is a piano hinge flush on the deck. I am not above this method, but if i use a piano hinge id like to hide it under the lid somehow. Id prefer a flush mount with no hinge showing but the mechanics of how to make the lid hinge and not hit the combing or get in the way of the side hatch is still escaping me. I think i have a design to do it with piano hinges on a piece extending back from the edge of the lid at the hinge point, but wondering if there arent better marine quality hinges available to do what i want it do...ie keep the hinge on the inside of the hatch.

Also wondering how big to make the hatches. looking at cooler dimensions, seems like 2'x3' opening is a little bit over kill but mabye i can make that my cutout and with the combing the hatch comes in at 34.5x22.5 or so big enough for a big yeti cooler, or a big dry box or bag. Side hatches will probably be 1.5' x 2' or so cutout making the opening in the combing 16.5"x22.5" thinking the footwell will end up about 26" long and about 18" wide and as tall off the floor as a milk crate. That sound right?

Lastly, what wood to frame the hatches and combing? In the past in my drift boat i have framed things with doug fir and used fir plywood for panels for boxes and such. This is straight oiled plywood. While i like fir it seems that all box lids or framing always seem to cup or warp over time. Looking for something more dimensionally stable than fir here i think. Everything will get tons of glass after too and totally sealed. I have some fir 1/2" marine play laying around. Have considered 2 strip edging of that as a lip of hatch lids. One thing thats important is weight. With the way i am building this boat i expect it to be very light. It is mostly cored composite. I am leery of adding weight with heavy hardwood. While white oak is great stuff to work with, its a bit heavy. Not above using it here and there if i need to but would like to keep its use down due to weight. Mahogany is probabbly even heavier. What about port orford ceder? How is it in weight and strength compared to doug fir? Is it dimensionally stable is is hard or soft. I like fir for its strength to weight but the dimensional stability and the fact that its kind of soft have lead to look for other options. I need to get this right the first time. Any thoughts on the best way to do the combing and seal and what wood works best?